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Her husband, a Scandinavian-looking fellow, reirl of about five, a small female replica of her"This is Mary I thought she could play with Danny"

I’ couple would travel over the dangerous roads to s out a flowered tin box "Oh, and we brought refreshments Couldn’t have a baby without cookies! I hope you don’t ured it would be better to come to you than topeople are This is the couple Patience told me about that delivered so beautifully in their faro)

"Well, isn’t this nice! How’re you doing, Hannah? Are the pains very bad?" Patience gives the ht in her eyes

"I’et so of Cab Calloith ‘Minnie the Moocher’ and another of ‘The Saint James Infirmary Blues’ " She whips off her Mackinaw to reveal a very pregnant abdoramophone?"

"I’h Becky, can you find so? Try WWVA" I sit down next to the wooden console and fool with the dial but all I can get is the news, then it fades into static "Sorry," I say "The ice stor"

"Oh, no! We have to have , John! I was counting on ins to whirl around like a top The husband throws his coat on the floor and takes her in his arms

"One, two, three," he chants as he leads her in a waltz "One, two, three" Then he begins to hu Dervish

As soon as the contraction is over, Patience leads the h her pains," she enlightens me when I return with a pot of hot water and the sterilized rubber gloves

The young wo on her back, half naked, while Patience listens to the baby’s heartbeat Her five-year-old, Mary, leans on the edge of the bed all eyes No ets frantic again"Hurry Hurry Hurry! I can’t stand to lie dohen the pains come"

"One more minute I just want to verify the baby’s position," Patience responds, pulling on the exaloves, but Hannah won’t wait She holds out her hands to John, who pulls a long white ruffled skirt over her head and they are off, swooping in graceful arcs

"Oh, John, go faster! We have to outdance the pain! Can’t we jitterbug or polka?"

Just then the kitchen door opens and Blu on? I saw the tractor" That’s Daniel

"Hannah and John Dyer Hannah’s in labor but we need s aretornado, taking over the whole house, and without Patience’s calm I’d be bloay in the storm I lay out the birth supplies in rateful not to be in charge, crawl up on the parlor davenport to be out of the way

Singing along in Ger out a lively tune "So ei-ne Liech-ten-stei-ner Pol-ka die hats Die macht Rabatz, mein Schatz! Ja ja ja! Ja ja ja! Ja ja ja! Ja ja ja!" I have no idea what the lyricstune and soon John and Hannah are doing the polka, joining in with the "Ja ja ja!" They swoop and turn, occasionally bu into a chair

Suddenly, Hannah stops and looks down between her bare feet at a pool of clear fluid on the floor "Whoops!"